Double properties - chapels plus cottages

Stuff happens and life gets in the way of our renovation dream plans. I know that. 
But maybe we're dealing with a bit more stuff nowadays, because I do seem to be seeing an awful lot of part finished do-ups coming onto the market.
Like these two handsome but abandoned Welsh chapel projects.
Capel Tygwdd is in Ceredigion - a beautiful bit of west Wales I know well. Close to the villages of Cwm Cou and Cenarth, and around five miles from the market town of Newcastle Emlyn.
The property consists of the chapel, the adjacent Sunday School, and around an acre of garden land, surrounded by gorgeous rural views.

The big stuff seems to have been done on the main building, the church, with a new (slate) roof, concrete floors and refurbished windows. A big hole in one side is poised for windows onto the views, and the Sunday school is waiting to be turned into the two-bedroom cottage in the (approved) plans.

The property also has permission for a garage and workshop, and separate public access to the little graveyard is already in place.
Water and electricity are connected but drainage needs sorting.
All in all, a lovely project in a pretty location for someone looking to step in after much of the heavy lifting is done.

On the market through both Dai Lewis and John Francis at offers around £275k. Details here and here.
Capel Bethel (below) is in Powys, in the village of Dinas Mawddwy, about 12 miles from Machynlleth.

Arriving on the market at different stage of conversion/renovation, it is habitable while you work.
The property consists of a gorgeous big and part-converted chapel, with planning permission to turn it into a four-bedroom house, plus a nicely renovated detached two-bedroom cottage.

There are masses of original features in both buildings, services connected to the site, pretty views, and a garden to the front. Pedestrian access is mentioned but not vehicles, so that could be an issue for works. And there isn't a lot of land overall.

However, the village location, within the Snowdonia National Park, is attractive and the work already completed on the cottage means this is property comfortable to live/work in or to finish off and let out the cottage and carry on living in the chapel.
The chapel itself has basically been turned into a big storage area downstairs with an open-plan living space on the second floor and a further attic floor with some works completed.

Lots of space for your money!
On the market through Morris, Marshall and Poole at £220k. Details and more pictures here and here.

Finally, if you prefer to take on a project from the start (or don't have the budget for my part-finished picks) this chapel and cottage in Carmarthen will be right up your street.

In the village of Rhydargaeau, the property (sent to me by reader Jacky) consists of a cute as a button chapel, a separate but rather miserable-looking two-bedroom chapel house, and the pretty vestry.

The vestry - attached to cottage but accessed by external staircase

Between the chapel and the chapel house and vestry is a graveyard - an issue you'll have to negotiate and address. But there's gated access to the graveyard and garden area and plenty of space for vans and vehicles during the works.

And the best bit? It's on the market as a job lot for just £95k. Bargain ; )
Agent is Dai Lewis. Details and more pictures of Capel Horeb here and here.

Two country homes with land up for auction

Couple of handsome properties coming up for auction to show you this week. Starting with this Welsh beauty.
The four-bedroom cottage is in the tiny hamlet of Blaenffos, next to Boncath and about eight miles from Newcastle Emlyn and a similar distance from St Dogmaels.

The house sits on the A478, which runs through the village, but behind it is an acre of land and privacy.
That acre of land prompted planning applications in 2007 and 2008 - approved by Pembrokeshire Council - to build six small "starter" homes on the site (08/0168/PA and 07/0518/PA).
By rights, those plans should have lapsed by now but I couldn't see any notification of that. Maybe the developer had dug a couple of holes or something.
Notwithstanding that rural Wales could probably do with more affordable starter homes rather than another likely holiday home renovation, this is a very attractive property in a bit of Wales I love : )

There is little in the way of detail on the agent's site (as tends to be the case with auction properties) and the property has clearly been neglected for long time. But the potential is there to create a gorgeous country home, for anyone in a position to take a punt on an auction buy.
On the market through West Wales Property and up for auction on October 23rd, in Cardiff, with a guide price of £165k. More details here and here.
Up for auction the following day is this gorgeous part-converted chapel in a lovely bit of land, a few miles from the town of Brecon and with views over to the Brecon Beacon Horseshoe.

Planning permission is in place to turn it into a four-bedroom home and the ground floor already has a part-completed kitchen and two bedrooms, and there's a bathroom somewhere (agent's details a bit sketchy again).

As with my first pick, the property comes with around an acre of land, but the amount of work already done on Garthbrengy's former chapel makes this a particularly appealing project. That and the views.

I don't know why the owners gave up on the project. It may have been a life thing or a church thing (I noticed the graveyard - have a read of one of Wreck's older stories to understand why that can be an issue), or maybe there were protected bats in the belfry or worrisome issues uncovered by the drain digging? Whatever. Auction buying brings risks as well as potentially profitable rewards.
Up for auction on October 24th through Paul Fosh Auctions and Hunters estate agents with a  guide price of £160k. Details and more pictures here and here.